


City of shadows

by Blue_Crow757



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Co-workers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Modern Era, Romance, Team Bonding, Team Fluff, Teamwork, To Comment, Trauma, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:53:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23331934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Crow757/pseuds/Blue_Crow757
Summary: Zuko the CEO of Sozin enterprise, uses his life as a cover for his life as a vigilante called Blue spirit. But his secret isn't as secure as he believes it to be, and the problem is that he is yet not the only vigilante around.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Jet/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Iroh (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 10





	1. Blue Spirit

Everyone has faced for the world, and another for themselves, the shadows of a being always reveal the truth about individuals, reveal their true form, the truth of a being in his shadow not on his face and that is the greatest of truths. In the Republic city, there are those who do evil trying to hide in the shadows, but they do not know the shadows, the ones who do the bad things, don’t know what is watching them.

The nights in the city were quiet for those who didn’t know what and how to see but for the Blue spirit, he was the one who made bad people, squill and being afraid of the dark. He ha been looking over that city for 3 years now, not without any trouble, but he was alive, mobsters and the corrupt were afraid of him. So on his view, he was winning anyway. 

Hitting mobsters, in an abandoned shed on the docks it was something that had already become routine, the man under the mask had already gotten used to the life of a vigilante, masked, who terrified everyone who hid in the shadows. But he didn’t know that this life could become new again. while he beat some gangsters who were trafficking guns into the city, he noticed someone else, a person there, doing the same thing as he did, eliminating bandits, he finished his job quickly and went to the building in front of the shed.

“ Hey .”- He heard

The blue spirit turned and saw another masked person, or rather masked and hooded, this being was smaller than him, shorter and more slender, he did not know how he had followed and who he was, but he knew that that person was the same person who was helping him inside the shed.

“ Who are you ?”- He asked 

“ No one of consequence .”- A feminine voice came out of that hooded body, it clearly had a modulator but still was a more feminine voice 

“ What are you doing here ?”- He asked again 

“ I’m just helping a fellow vigilantly, I m the painted lady .”- She said giving him a little bow 

“ And I work alone. “- The blue spirit talked back at the woman 

“ I know, but this one those concern herself with whom you work with. The police will be here in no time .”- She said 

“ And how do you know that ?”- He said looking back at her 

“ I called them from a payphone. I didn’t even know those things existed anymore .”- She said 

As she said the horns and police car sirens started to sound in the distance, he knew he had to get out of there, they would vacillate the area, he went to the left the roof but stopped when he heard the voice again. 

“ Blue boy, this one doesn’t concern herself with what you think about others, but if you ever need a hand. Call me.”- He heard the voice again 

“ How I am …”- He turned to look at the hooded girl but she was nowhere to be found

He looked around but she wasn’t there anymore, but at where she stood, there it was a disposable phone, it wasn’t easy to track any calls made to or over this type of phone, she had really thought of a way to talk to him without anyone knowing, it was a relationship of trust, whoever that crazy person wanted, she was smart. He thought to himself if he should take the phone, but he was tired of being alone.

\-------------------------------------

The life of a vigilante was far easier than the life of a real person. For Zuko, life on the shadows, was easy, punching people that did wrong thinks and hide in the shadows, and that was it. His uncle always loved to talk about the duality of man, especially when Zuko went sleep deprived to work, and his uncle Iroh looked at him with a knowing look. 

Iroh had come to know, about his nephew’s night activities after, Zuko got some badly bruised and had to crawl up the fire escape of his uncle’s apartment and ask for his help, for patching him up. 

Uncle Iroh never supported what Zuko did, he knew that if someone knew things got complicated, for not only the company but for Zuko, he could get himself killed doing this night over night, but he knew that the city needed someone who he was not acting with bureaucracy since he, himself knew how corrupt people were far more protected by law than others.

“ Why couldn’t you just be a normal, young man, doing normal young man things?”- Iroh would say 

“ You want me to be a normal young man, that means you want me to be at work hungover, snorting cocaine, and going out with prostitutes or something like that?”- Zuko would ask 

His uncle does not usually draw Zuko's attention regarding that. He knew the sharp tongue of the nephew he had raised as a son. But as soon as any chance of a social event reached Iroh's ears, he made a point of forcing Zuko to go to all of them. Zuko, in turn, ended up taking his pseudo girlfriend Mai, she and he never spent much time together, but he knew that as long as she could brag about having a boyfriend, that was handsome and successful, she didn't care about how he spent most of his your nights.

So when the invitation to a New Year party, came to Iroh's knowledge he could hardly wait to force Zuko to avoid the fancy affair, which he always threw, and ordered him to go with Mai to this little get-together, from an ex-colleague of college. When he got there Zuko felt more than out of place, he and Sokka had never been great friends, they had done some classes together but the only thing he clearly remembered about Sokka was that he helped him with the homework that included math, which was easy for Zuko, but it seemed impossible for Sokka.

He felt a little overdressed when he saw that most people were wearing suits but jeans, he stayed in the corner for a while, but shortly afterward Sokka came to greet him. He hadn't changed so much he had the same haircut and the same way of speaking.

"Zuko, it's good to see you." - Sokka said giving him a warm hug

“ Hello, Sokka .”- Zuko said 

He and Sokka talked briefly, he said hi to Mai and went back to talking to other people. Zuko remained silent, he wasn’t focused on the party or Mai, talking about whatever subject she thought pertinent to talk about. He was focused on the phone in the pocket of his black suit. That disposable phone, he had checked, there was no number in the phone's history or contacts, he would have to wait to be contacted, this could be anywhere at any given time.

“ Zuko are you listening to me ?” - Mai asked 

“ No, I wasn’t .”- Zuko told her 

“ Seriously Zuko I question myself, if you really want to be with me, you never go out with me and in the first chance you get to bring me to the commoner’s party .”- Mai said 

“ Mai, I don’t know I thought you’d like it .”- Zuko said sincerely 

Zuko believed that Mai, wanted nothing more than to show him off, and to some extent that was true, but he never saw coming what she said, next :

“ You know, I want someone that doesn’t take me for granted.”- Mai 

“ Good for you .”- Zuko said without ever thing 

“ Good then it’s over .”- Mai said 

“ What? “- Zuko asked 

“ We are over, don’t call me anymore, and go find someone else to take for granted .”- Mai said 

Zuko hadn’t understood what she meant, only when she walked away and out of the party, he understood. Not to his surprise, he felt quite liberated, as if some weight had been lifted off his back. He waited, some minutes before deciding to call it the night. He went to the door but before he could open the door, the door was opened in front of him. The door slammed against his foot, and Zuko felt a stinging pain as if being at that party wasn't bad enough. He roared in pain, but soon he heard a voice coming close.

“ Ohh I’m so sorry sir. I really did see you there .”- A woman’s voice said 

He looked up, and saw a woman, she had a sleeveless black dress, she had black hair, dark skin, and blue eyes, the bluest blue he had ever seen in his life. She seemed concerned with him as she at her hand at his back.

“ Kat, what’s up ?”- Sokka’s voice came next 

“ I was coming in and I hit him with the door.”- The girl said 

“ It’s okay, I’m already going home .”- Zuko said straightening up 

“ Ohh but it’s not even midnight. Please stay with your girlfriend .”- Sokka said 

“ She’s not any more …”- Zuko 

“ Ohhh sorry man, but please stay until midnight .”- Sokka said 

“ Okay, I’ll stay .”- Zuko said

“ Kat there is some ice in the fridge for his foot .”- Sokka said 

“ Yeah good let’s get you some ice .”- The girl said pulling him by a corridor to a little kitchen 

He sat at the counter, while she good some ice put it in a cloth and gave it to Zuko. While all this was going on he could only admire the girl, she had her black hair down with only a few strands being pulled back leaving her small ears visible, she had big blue eyes, and in her hand, she had some tattoos in white ink that formed a beautiful contrast to your dark skin.

“ I like your tattoos .”- He remarked about the little white moon and stars inked in her hands and wrists 

“Ohh thanks, I made them some time ago. I’m sorry for hitting you with a door My name is Katara by the way. .”- She said 

“ It’ s okay it’s not the worst thing that happened to me today .”- Zuko said looking into her blue eyes 

“ I heard Sokka, talking about your girlfriend I’m sorry .”- Katara remarked pointed at the door from where the music was coming in a lower volume 

“ Oh no that was alright, she only liked me,because her friends thought I was cute. So getting her out of my life is not that bad. I was talking about the party, I hate this type of things. “- Zuko 

“ Me too, I only came because of Sokka .”- Katara said 

“So you’re his girlfriend ?”- Zuko asked a little disappointed 

“ No, I’m his sister .”- Katara 

“ Ohhh .”- Zuko said a little happier 

“ I’ve been working out of the country, but I’m finally back.”- Katara 

“ Why did you come back here .”- Zuko 

“ A lot of reasons. I got a job offer, in a big company, but I had to let somethings go .”- Katara 

“ Like ?”- Zuko asked

“ My boyfriend, he didn’t want me to come, because he thought I already worked too much, so he gave me an ultimatum, him or my work. And I knew exactly what I wanted .”- Katara 

“ What a dick .”- Zuko remarked 

“What ?”- Katara 

“ I don’t mean to offend you, but he was a dick. If you love someone you should let them chase their dreams.”- Zuko 

“ Yeah, I think so too .”- Katara 

Silencio came to haunt their conversation, but Zuko found himself wanting to know more about Sokka's sister, who seemed to be a rather peculiar but very interesting girl.

“ So do you want to go back to the party ?”- Zuko asked 

“ I don't think so … I’m not in the mood for this .”- Katara 

“ Me neither .”- Zuko 

“ Well, I have somewhere .”- Katara 

And there they were, at least 10 minutes later, at the fire escape of the Sokka building, the night was cold and the blanket that Katara had in her hands came in handy as she placed the cloth over the two while they were as close as possible to each other. The whiter was still as severe as it could be in Republic city.

“ So you’re from here ?”- Zuko 

“ No, after my mother died … well was killed when moved up here, I’m from the south pole .”- Katara said 

“ I’m sorry to hear that.”- Zuko comforted her 

“ So no I’m not from here, and you ?”- Katara asked 

“ Well, I was born and raised at the fire nation, but then I moved here, with my uncle … after …”- Zuko wondered 

He wondered if he should have been saying those things, she had known her for less then five yours, and he had told her more about himself than to anyone he had known for years. So he kept himself quiet. 

“ Ohh you don’t have to tell me, just because I told you about my life, it doesn’t mean you have to tell me about yours.”- Katara said 

Zuko couldn't feel any kind of scorn or sarcasm in her voice, and he was good at detecting sarcasm, he had lived with Mai, and to know what she felt to be perceptive was necessary. She was being true, she had told her things about herself, but he didn't have to if he wasn't comfortable, she really was something different.

“ You see this ?”- He asked her running his hand over the scar on his face

“ Your face ?”- Katara asked

“ No the scar .”- Zuko said 

“ Yeah … and ?”- Katara asked again

“ It was made by my father, before he, drove me out of my own home, cast me away and desoned me .”- Zuko explained 

“ But why ?”- Katara asked, now she seemed overaged 

“ Because I talked back, and I was indisciplined .”- Zuko said as if it was the most normal thing in the world

“ How old were you ?”- Katara asked 

“ I was thirteen years old .”- Zuko said 

“ What a cunt !”- Katara exclaimed 

That surprised Zuko, most people would be sorry for him, but not enraged, well most people knew how his father was and they knew he was powerful, but she seemed not to know the owner of one of the biggest enterprises in the world or former owner, or she didn’t give a fuck, either way, it made Zuko’s heart skip a bit. 

“ You could say my father, and your ex-boyfriend are the same type of people.”-Zuko 

“ I guess so …”- Katara said 

But before, she could end her phrase, fireworks appeared on the sky, both of them realized, on that chilly night, it was midnight, a new, year a new year, and that prompted Zuko to do something he otherwise would never, he cupped Kat’s, face on his hands and kissed her. He was surprised and she didn’t pull away, she only went further. At the end of the night, he had a kiss and a phone number. It was a new year. 


	2. Sozin enterprise

Sozin enterprises, the biggest building on the street, in a world build of big buildings and big money, this was one of the biggest. Katara remembered the moment she got the invitation and the job offer. But that big sign in front of the building with the company name engraved on the building's facade, it made everything a little more real.

Katara went in as the receptionist told her to got to the highest floor and meet, with a man called Iroh, as she knew he was one of the new heads of Sozin enterprise, together with his mysterious nephew. Katara wondered who would that be, she pictured him as any young man with money, getting a hangover, and spending money with idiotic things. So she was glad she would be talking to someone mature. 

She went to the highest floor when she got out the elevator a lady was waiting for her, she was as well dressed as she was, although Katara was in a suit, and the lady was in a dress, Katara saw that she was dressed as the regulation. Zozin enterprise had just undergone a huge rebranding, with the change of the CEO, and the departure of the controversial Ozai who was tarnishing the company's image with statements and alliances that gave Sozin enterprise a villainous reputation.

But now the spokespersons of Sozin and co, as they would like to recall themselves, and more modern company, with more diversity on its team of professionals, as Katara was taken to a big room with big windows to the streets below. She thought of why would they be hiring her, she was a lawyer specializing in foreign relations, but her morals were quite different from the brand’s, they were still relentless on all business fronts while Katara had a more social focus on her work, fighting for the right of the proletariat, often speaking on behalf of workers' unions, and in her time of experience she had realized that the last thing big companies wanted to be someone like her.

So why would they want her, maybe it was because they thought she could make the unions see the company in a new light, a more friendly more well-known face or just because she was a minority to be used as an example of diversity, anyway she couldn't think of anything totally noble to explain why she was there. Many of her co-workers had been wondering why she would work for people like them, but she had her own reasons, to find the man who had killed her mother. Working in a company like this was the perfect cover for a vigilante.

“ I’ve heard a lot about you, but I never expect you to be that young .”- A voice sounded on her ear 

Katara turned from the window where she could see people walking on the street, saw a man, he was not tall, he was almost the same height as her, he had a big white beard and his hair was thin and white, he had eyes that were a mix of orange, red, yellow and brown, he had a smile on his face, but even so Katara felt no less nervous or tense about meeting him.

“ My name is Katara, it’s an honor to meet you, mister Iroh .”- Katara said getting close to Iroh and extending her to him 

“ The honor is mine miss Katara, your work is truly remarkable, please sit .”- Iroh shook her hand and told her to sit at the table in the middle of the room

As soon as they sat down two cups and a teapot full of tea was left on the table by the same girl who had brought Katara to Iroh's office, he poured her some tea, and started talking.

"I am happy that you accepted our job offer, I hope that we can have a lasting and prosperous partnership." - Iroh

“ I would like to know what I’m doing. I know I’ll be working in the foreign relations department. “- Katara 

“ Well, our foreign relations creator, is practically stopped in the last session, everyone in the sector retired last year so we are reforming the department but we need someone knowledgeable, to form a team.”- Iroh 

“ Do you have someone to do that yet ?”- Katara 

“ Yes, miss Katara, you .”- Iroh said as light-heartedly as he could 

“ Wait a minute, you’re telling me that I’m going to be the head the department ?”- Katara asked surprised 

“ Yes, we will give you a budget, so you can form a team. We want to give this place a new face, and we will like to be working with you closely. As you well know how to deal with the public. We want you to be working closely with you and my nephew .”- Iroh 

That was a surprise, Katara had signed the employment contract a few days earlier, but she thought she would only be on the communications team, not that she would head it. She would have to make varying calls to friends and market people. 

“ Let’s go meet your workplace and some of your team. We took the liberty to also hire some other employees for the team, but it will be up to you whether they should stay or not.”- Iroh said getting up and leading Katara to the elevator 

Upon reaching the floor two levels below the top of the building, they left the elevator, and there were already at least 10 people in the room, but right away she recognized two of the people one of them was Ty Lee, an applied lawyer, and relentless, she had worked in the name of several fire nation companies, making all of them get away with not paying severance pay to employees, Katara thought how she must had felt about having to work to someone who meant exactly what she had fought so hard to exterminate.

And the other one she recognized immediately, she would have recognized that head with tattoos anywhere, that blue arrow was unmistakable, she wondered what Aang was doing there, he must have thought the same as she did, now that Ozai left things must have changed. Aang had been a co-worker of hers for many years, while they fought for unions on the jute, she and Aang dated back to college, they met inside a room, on a master's degree course, almost seven years earlier.

“ Well I’ll leave you with your team, I’ll send for you when my nephew comes in. So we can all meet.”- Iroh 

\-------------------------------------

That was one of the first times that Zuko was late, he was probably going to get a good scolding from his uncle Iroh, he had specifically asked him to arrive earlier, at work, but the night had been full he overslept.

He ran out of the elevator and headed for his office, which was at the front of his uncle's office, upon entering the room he immediately saw Iroh sitting in his chair, at his desk. His face said nothing to him, it was neutral and that was a bad sign his uncle was always a smiling man, he was sure that his uncle was going to talk about how his northern habits were interfering with his life and that they weren’t healthy, everything he had spoken before. 

“ I’m sorry I’m late .”- Zuko 

“ The only day I tell you to come in early, and you’re late .”- Iroh said neutrally 

“ I'm just thirty minutes late. It's not that bad, isn't it ?”- Zuko asked taking off his coat 

“ It would have been if she hadn’t come in an hour before. You’re already an hour and a half late.”- Iroh said getting up 

“ Shit .”- Zuko muttered to himself 

“ Language .”- Iroh 

“ I’m sorry uncle. I overslept .”- Zuko 

“ Difficult night ?”- Iroh 

“ Yes, arms dealers have returned to the docks, and now they seem to be smarter.”- Zuko told his uncle who sat at the couch on his office 

Zuko sat beside his uncle. He had come to know that Iroh was the best mystery solver, Iroh knew what he did at night but he didn’t care, well he did care, but he knew to try to stop Zuko wasn’t possible. His uncle was like a father to him Zuko respected Iroh, and Iroh knew his nephew more than his nephew would like him to. 

“ What else happened ?”- Iroh asked 

“ I just told you .”- Zuko 

“ Yes, but smart thugs have never taken away your sleep before, what afflicts you so much that you lose the desire to sleep ?”- Iroh asked 

Zuko knew Iroh would keep searching if he didn’t tell him, he also knew his uncle fairly well, Iroh could think he wanted to be with Mai and maybe mess everything with Kat, so he decided to come clean with his thoughts, the lady with blue eyes, that haunted his dreams. 

“ Do you remember the party you obliged me to go to New year’s eve ?”- Zuko asked his uncle 

“ It was two days ago Zuko, I’m old but not forgetful .”- Iroh joke 

“ Well, I broke up with Mai .”- Zuko 

“ And … you’re losing sleep over that, you never liked her .”- Iroh acknowledged 

“ Oh, so that you knew .”- Zuko 

“ Zuko, I saw in your face every time she came in that door how miserable you looked, if you’re losing sleep over her, I really think you’re losing your time.”- Iroh 

“ Not, is not about her … At the party, I met someone, and … “- Zuko 

“ Oh my, don’t tell me you're in love with someone you just met.”- Iroh 

“ I don’t know if I’m in love or not, but every time, I’m doing something I think on her, her smile, the way she talks about politics and when we talk on the phone she seems so confident, and at the night we met … god she was gorgeous, and I’m here losing sleep over that girl that I …”- Zuko said 

He got up in the middle of his speech but stopped himself while looking at his uncle. Iroh seemed truly surprised with his nephew, Zuko wasn’t the type of guy people would consider a hopeless romantic, but he suddenly sounded like one. He was sighing, and describing the girl he had met only once in detail but still seemed to be describing an entity, whatever that feeling was had taken him completely and he was spending the nights in the clear thinking about her. He had felt hard. 

“ Why are you looking at me like that uncle ?”- Zuko asked 

“ I never thought I’d see you like that my nephew .”- Iroh 

“ Me too.”- Zuko 

“ Well I go get the newest addition to your company and you pull yourself together .”- Iroh said getting out of the room 

Iroh got out of the room and left Zuko, alone he was still thinking of Katara, but his thoughts were taken from her, when he heard a ringtone, he checked his phone that was in his pocket in the pants, but it had no connection, so he realized it wasn’t that phone, he ran up to his coat and grabbed the disposable phone that he always carried with himself since meeting the other vigilante.

“ Hello ?”- He asked answering the call

“ You really did have the phone, and I thought you were at least prudent to download a voice modulator.”- The same voice from the rooftop said with the same voice modulator 

“ You kidding me this shit you gave me doesn’t even have a connection to wifi .”- Zuko said back 

“ These are precautions, you will thank me one day for nobody being able to tap or track this call.”- The voice said

“ What do you want ?”- Zuko 

“ I want a new meeting, I know you have been going to the docks, but there is just the exchange point, you’re never going to be able to cut their supply of guns if you don’t cut it from the source, but we can talk, more about that when we meet .”- She said 

“ Well, I need a place and a time .”- Zuko 

“ Today … On Sozin enterprise, building downtown .”- The voice sounded again 

“ You know Sozin enterprise ?”- Zuko asked 

“ Am I living under a rock, of course, I know them, besides you have to know you have to know where the snake's hole if you want to eliminate it.”- The lady said 

“ Where do you want to met ?”- Zuko 

“ Tonight tree in the morning, in the parking lot of the building, third level. See you tonight.”- The voice said 

The call went silent after it, Zuko really didn’t have any closure, at least he would have time to turn all the cameras off, he put the phone back and went thinking about how he would do that, so he was caught off guard when his uncle's voice came back. He turner with a smile ready to meet this person that was going to be the head of the foreign relations department. But when he turned he saw her, those blue eyes that black hair and that dark skin. He knew that her surprise expression mirrored his because his uncle cut off the silence. 

“ So, this is nephew Zuko … and this Zuko is Katara, she is the new head of the foreign relations department .”- Iroh said 

“ We already know each other .”- Katara said 

Zuko didn’t think she would tell him right away. But he was on board with then, he didn’t see any sign of her knowing him or who he was previously from that party, and her surprise just confirmed that she had no idea who he was. 

“ At the New year’s eve party .”- Zuko told him uncle that understood right away what it meant 

“ Miss Katara, can you show Zuko, the new department please .”- Iroh asked softly 

“ Of course .”- Katara

Katara got out of the room and went straight to the elevator, she didn’t say a word to him until she saw they were alone. 

“ I did know who you were .”- Katara said softly 

“ What ?”- Zuko asked 

“ If you’re thinking I only took an interest in you because of the job …”- Katara 

“ No, I would never think that .”- Zuko generally didn’t think that was the case 

The elevator came up luckily it was empty they entered and while the trip was short it seemed so slow. They reached the floor, then Zuko followed Katara through the sectors, she showed each sector one that took care of advertising and digital media and another that was talking to NGOs and charities. Everything seemed to work so perfectly when she was in charge until they got to the last stage in charge. Katara had asked for help from another employee named Aang to head the operations.

“ This is Aang, he is my right arm .”- Katara 

“ It’s great to meet the boss .”- Aang said shaking Zuko’s hand 

“ It’s good to meet you too .”- Zuko shook Aang’s hand 

Zuko was interested in what the boy said, but what caught his eye was his big tattoo, it was an air monk tattoo on his head and arms, Zuko was distracted by a second, but one thing he caught up to was that Katara and Aang seem to know each other. Aang already called her Kat, and they seemed more relaxed around each other. 

“ You guys know each other ?”- Zuko 

“ Oh, me and Kit Kat date back .”- Aang said 

“ Aang, be more formal .”- Katara warned him 

“ Oh, no you don’t need to be formal because of me .”-Zuko told them 

“ See, he knows what up, I can tell he is no one of consequence as I am .”- Aang said 

That through Zuko off guard, _no one of consequence_ … Aang. It was very intelligent to try and make people think they had another gender, Zuko knew they maybe close. But he didn’t expect the vigilant to be that close. He thought about confronting him here and there, but he thought twice, if Aang knew he was aware of his identity, he could go after everybody he knew heard him saying that. And those were him and Katara, and obviously, Zuko wasn’t going to put Katara on this. 

“ You come to my office, I’ll show you the plan of action we made .”- Katara said 

“ Yeah .”- Zuko said going after her

“ Good to meet you man .”- Aang said 

They went to her, office, the wall was cover in paper with keywords and the table was probably full of company papers, probably some reports from different sectors. She sat at the table, and Zuko did the same. That place was the goal of his office, but it felt cozier. Katara had already put some pictures on the table, one with Sokka, probably from when he was younger, and another one where she was with Aang and with another girl, a girl probably from Ba sing se, judging for the color of her clothes. 

“ When you said successful, I didn’t expect this .”- Katara said 

“ Well, what did you expect from someone like me ?”- Zuko asked 

“ I don’t know … A musician, a formula one driver, I don’t know .”- Katara said 

“ Well, I know how to play the guitar, maybe if you sing we can form a band .”-Zuko said 

Katara laughed softly, they knew they were going to have to talk about that, he was afraid of what she might say, keep it professional, and not even be friends. He would understand, people would think she was there because she was dating the boss, she would count his heart if she rejected him, but he would understand.

“ I think we might need to talk .”- Katara 

“ Yeah .”- Zuko 

“ You know, we can keep it professional, in here .”- Katara said 

“ Yes .”- Zuko said it sadly 

“ But, out of here, who knows.”- Katara completed 

“ Yes, I would very much like that. “- Zuko said smiling at Katara 

“ So back to the planning .”- Katara said turning to her wall 


	3. Front lawn

Night fell, and the early morning rolled in. Zuko had his uniform on and waited at the building's garage. Something good about being the boss is that no one found him suspicious when Zuko entered the surveillance room, and kept messing around with the cameras, causing a loop recording of the previous night to appear all night for the night guards.

He waited in the empty parking lot until a voice came after him, the same voice as always. He would have jumped up and pulled his swords out of his abyss if he didn't know exactly who those people were. He had talked to uncle Iroh, about confronting Aang, but decided otherwise, as Aang might not have an idea where to start looking for him and after that, he would have some suspects.

“ Good to see you, punctuality isn’t dead .”- The hooded person said 

He turned, and there he was, standing with his hood and long black sleeves with a red slash around them, he looked a little shorter, maybe he was wearing shoes with a little heel in the morning, but Zuko hadn't noticed, he looked so calm as if they had met thousands of times before.

"So what do you want to talk about ?” - Zuko asked forcing his voice to get thicker

"You, like me, are going after the city's arms dealers, you always go to that warehouse, so you must have realized that security there is not a top-notch security system .”- Hooded person told Zuko 

“ So ?”- Zuko 

“ That is one of the many sheds they use for deliveries, but I know where their base is, it's a very safe place, in the Ember district. ”- He told Zuko 

"It makes sense, they use the Ember district because it is an island if they want nobody leaves or enters the island.”- Zuko 

"Yes, but it gives me a one-up on them, that they won't even know about .”- The hooded figure said 

Zuko wondered what Aang had on them, and how did Aang know that he had gone to that shed, every night in the last 5 months, and since when had Aang started to spy on him. 

“ So what do you want with me ?”- Zuko 

“ I want you to help me. I’m going to raid their base. But I can’t do it alone .”- He said 

“ What ?! Have you lost your mind ?! This is a suicide mission .”- Zuko warned 

“ No is not, with what I have, we’ll go in and out, and it will be fine .”- He told 

“ So what's that secret weapon of yours ?”- Zuko asked teasingly 

The other man stretched out his hand, towards the wall next to where they were, Zuko thought nothing would happen. It was when he heard the noise of metal wielding as if Aang was wielding the pipes from inside the wall, then the water pipes exploded, water came out of them, but not in an uncontrolled flow as it would otherwise be when a pipe exploded, the water consisted of a sphere, while Aang under his hood made the movements to bend the water. 

“ You’re a water bender! I thought you guys had been extinct for centuries .”-Zuko said surprised 

“ Ooh don’t be surprised .”- He said 

“ What are you talking about ?”- Zuko asked 

“ Don’t be shy mister fire bender .”- He said 

Zuko suddenly was aware of his situation more than ever. How did he know that? It was the only thing he could think of. Zuko had been so careful. The stigma involving bender was so great, that when he found out he was one, he had to hide it. Many thought the golden age of bending would never end. But fewer and fewer benders were born, so for a long time many people believed they would never return, and this had been the foundation where this modern world had risen, into benders becoming legends, and people just telling the stories as legends and religions for ignorant people.

The avatar was just another legend for children, and few in the world knew that this was actually a big lie. Benders were still among the people, but they were angry. Zuko wondered how Aang could have figured out since he was a water bender, he could have held on to the standards, but fire bending was different from water bending, so that could just be someone using firearms like a flame thrower. At least that's what most people thought.

“ How ?”- Zuko 

“ Flamethrowers cannot make such precise and violent flames without making everything around them catch on fire. You must be a very experienced fire bender .”- He told Zuko 

“ So what’s your plan raid the base ?”- Zuko 

“ I water bend us in, we set fire to something, and while they are distracted with the fire, we collect some documents. And I water bend us out of there. Pretty simple actually. ”- He said 

“ It’s simple … but it could actually work. So when are we doing this ?”- Zuko 

“On Sunday night .”- He said 

“ That’s at the Festival of Spirits .”- Zuko 

“ There will be less security on that day because of the festival, they'll be covering up other sheds that the police may be going behind, so the security of the island will be halfway through, and they won't go waiting. Who would be crazy enough to try to get on the island?”- He told Zuko

“ So your counting with them not being prepared for us ?”- Zuko asked 

“ I'm counting on the element of surprise and my preparation and training, we have the upper hand .”- He said without even questioning himself 

“ Well were should we encounter ?”- Zuko asked 

“There is a building made of bricks in front of the bridge to the island, meet me on the roof of this 10-story building at 10 pm. “- He told Zuko 

“ Yes, sir .”- Zuko said 

“ I’m a lady .”- He said 

“ Yeah it's very intelligent to through people off with your gender, people think your a girl, so they don’t look at you a suspect .”- Zuko said

“ What the hell are you talking about ?”- He asked Zuko 

“ Nothing I just spitballing .”- Zuko dropped it 

“ See you around .”- He seemed weird out by what Zuko said 

They both went away, and Zuko went straight to his apartment, he thought about what he would have to do. He hadn’t trained how to fire bend for quite some time. But he still was very good at it. He wondered what uncle Iroh would tell him. He would get preached if he told Iroh was about to do, so he decided, the fewer people who know them better.

\-------------------------------------

On the day of the festival, Zuko knew exactly where he had to go, a family gathering was horrible, but his uncle insisted on it, he knew he was going to go away, but at least the morning party was something he had to endure. He picked up his uncle at his house and went to that house. He still felt goosebumps coming up his spine, everything he laid his eyes on that front lawn. 

It had happened over fifteen years before, but she still remembered feeling his face burning as he was thrown out of his own house and ended up passing out of pain on that same front lawn. He still had that scar on his face, he knew he would never forget that night. But he wondered how he had a good relationship with his sister. Maybe because he was the first person who gave her the freedom to say what she wanted when she wanted to. 

He wasn’t the most loving brother of all and always criticized himself, but his sister Azula always returned to remark, that she was the reason he had that scar. Most people thought that he had been scarred and kicked out of the house he had been brought up because he talked back and was undisciplined when the reality of what had happened was much worst.

His father Ozai was an abusive man, he loved to beat people up when he was drunk, first, it was with their mother, but when she got tired of him and his bullshit and disappeared without a trace, the violence reverted to the children. Zuko remembered arriving with purple marks at school and ashamed he told others that he had hurt himself playing soccer.

Zuko always had flashes of memories from that night when he came back to that house. As Azula had spilled some of his juice on the living room floor, and his father had gone berserk, Azula already had a purple eye when Zuko took action, and with all the strength he had at the top of his thirteen years he knocked his father down with one push.

Azula ran as he screamed for her to run and call uncle Iroh, but before Zuko could run and get on his room and lock himself inside his own room with his sister and wait until uncle Iroh to got there and calm his father, out finely take them out of there. He was hit, by a log of wood, that was on fire. His father had fought back, knocking him in the face with a burning log, because he had protected his sister from his drunken rage.

He didn’t remember much more about that night, nor about seeing his father again until he was finished with college, the year before, he was telling his father the news, that he would be interned in a sanatorium after Zuko had successfully made him feel and look paranoid, pretending to be a ghost in his dear house, he had been interned for schizophrenia, and Zuko had the greatest pleasure to reveal to his father, that all that had been a very well thought out plan. 

The revenge had been sweet and he had not felt so alive since he had seen Ozai's terror squeeze when he got the full picture, nobody would believe him, because they thought he was crazy, and the only thing he could see was his scourged son, returning victorious and claiming everything that was his. Now that place was just full of bitter memories, that always came back to him in nightmares, but he did for Azula, she and her uncle Iroh were the only family he had left. 

Zuko and Iroh, entered that giant house, full of guests, shareholders, and some people that Zuko didn't recognize, maybe friends of Azula, he was looking for his sister in the crowd when his eyes were covered by two hands. 

“Zula, please, as if I wouldn't recognize my little sister .”- Zuko said lightly 

“You're too good at this. It's not fun. "- Hands came out of his eyes and soon his imam appeared in front of him 

As always she was as well put as their mother used to be. She took a lot from her, Zuko wondered if maybe that's why his father often had some type of deep anger for Azula. She was smiling, not innocently, but with her devilish smile, she had never been innocent, it had been ripped from her at an early age and Zuko feared that he was on the same ground as her.

“ How are you ?”- She asked more concerned than always 

“ I’m good. “- Zuko said optimistically

“ For real ?”- Azula asked again 

“ So it has already come to your attention that Mai and I are no longer together?”- Zuko asked getting what his sister meant 

" Yeah, it was the first thing she told him when she arrived."- Azula

" She's here ?"- Zuko asked quite annoyed 

“ Well yeah .”- Azula 

" I don't think I will survive this ."- Zuko 

" You can always try to make amends with her ."- Azula 

“ No, I think we are better off this way .”- Zuko 

He and his sister continued talking at the hall when the door was opened again. Zuko looked flashy to see who was coming in, he was surprised. He didn’t expect to see Katara there. She was dressed in a black suit and some high heeled black shoes, she could pull off black as much as with white, and of course, her hair was tied up in a perfect braid. His sister picked up his dump founded expression and soon looked at the door. She left her brother's side and soon went to greet Katara. 

“ Hello, welcome .”- Azula said shacking Katara’s hand

“ Hello .”- Katara said shyly 

“ Hey .”- Zuko said as he stood behind his sister 

“ Hey.”- Katara said looking stocked to seeing him there 

“ Do you guys know each other? Zuzu ?”- Azula asked 

Katara was already surprised to see him there, she asked around, and people told her he never attended this sort of affair, but there he was. Maybe Aang snitched on her and told him she was going. She promised to never tell Aang about the people she liked. But then the girl called him Zuzu. They hadn’t done clear rules, but there are friends with benefits in theory, and if he found someone she would probably be kept only on the professional, and the prospect of that broke her heart. 

“ You know each other ?”- Azula asked Zuko 

“ Yes, I’m the head of foreign relations, and working with Zuko, on the campaign of the company. “- Katara asked before he even had the chance of thinking on a good answer 

“ Yeah .”- Zuko 

“ Ohhh good .”- Azula said 

“ Katara, this is my sister Azula .”- Zuko said and saw some type of relief coming from Katra he didn’t understand why, but he saw it

Zuko and Katara immediately went to the bar, Katara asked for a shot of tequila, it was just the beginning of the afternoon, so Zuko allowed himself to accompany her in a dose. They kept talking about how they didn't like parties, and soon Zuko felt that the alcohol had made him "happier". His dump brain couldn’t associate his happiness with Katara, but certainly, he was happier with her presence. 

“ So you have known Aang for quite some time now ?”- Zuko asked 

He did not know what it had been, maybe it was the alcohol, which made him ask without any concern that Katara thought he was jealous. If Aang was the vigilante, knowing more about him could give him an advantage. 

“ Yeah, Aang is quite a chill person .”- Katara said 

“ Does he has something to do with bending? I know it's really out of nowhere. ”- Zuko 

“ No, I know his tattoos are quite apparent .”- Katara 

“ So what’s up with it ?”- Zuko

“ Aang is a firm believer that benders aren’t just stories, and that the Avatar is just like walking among us .”- Katara said 

“ And what you think about it ?”- Zuko 

“ It’s just the craziest thing ever, that is really off, I’m how could they be stacked? If they ever were real. I don’t believe it, their just bedtime stories.“- Katara told him 

Zuko didn't know why this opinion of hers had such an off effect on him, he felt a little down. How he would come to tell her, that not only her best friend but he was two benders wandering the world.

“ And you what are your thoughts on it ?”- Katara asked 

“ Well, they were my bedtime stories, but there's something about it that doesn’t let me write them off as just stories. I mean I’m not obsessed with it I’m not going to wear any tin foil hats, but it intrigues me, like who would have created those stories ?”- Zuko 

Zuko didn't know why this opinion of hers had such an off effect on him, he felt a little down. How he would come to tell her, that not only her best friend but he was two benders wandering the world.

“ Ohh, I’m tired I have to .”- Katara 

“ Me too. Do you want a lift ?”- Zuko 

“ I would love it .”- Katara 

Zuko said goodbye to her sister and asked her to look after her Uncle Iroh, who was sleeping with a plate of snacks at his lap on a chair. Zuko and Katara went to his car parked in front of the house and left. Zuko thought about what he could say to Katara, it was the first time since the new year, that they were out of work alone. 

The silence wasn't so bad, but it was something Zuko wanted to avoid with Katara, she didn't seem as comfortable around him now as she was at the party. She didn't seem scared, but she was insecure about what was outside of what he knew of her, she was always the safe girl who said what she wanted when she wanted, but now they weren't two strangers on a fire escape anymore, he was her boss, and that made the situation more complicated than ever. 

“ Zuko ?”- Katara asked 

“ Yes ?”- Zuko asked back

“ Why did you give me this lift ?”- Katara asked 

“ I just, though, I’d give a lift to a friend .”- Zuko said

That sting. Friend … was that it, they were just going to fuck buddies and that was it. Zuko and Katara had encountered each other after work a lot of time, but never had the conversation, about how they felt. He wanted to say so many things, that he would love to wake up at her house, would love if they went out together to do things, but at the same time, he did want to say anything. He was a vigilante, and if the people he fought against came to know of her, she would be in trouble. 

“ Is that how do you feel about me ?”- Katara asked straightforwardly as she usually was 

“ What do you mean ?”- Zuko 

“ What do I mean? Friend, that’s what we are ?”- Katara asked 

“ Why are you asking me that ?”- Zuko asked not trying to offend her

“ Because I think … I like you … More than just friends, or friends with benefits. And … I know that you just got out of a relationship, but … I don’t know, just forget it.”- Katara said 

“ You like ?”- Zuko quite surprised 

“ Yeah .”- Katara 

“ Oh, I …”- Zuko

“ You what ?’- Katara asked, she wanted a straight answer 

“ I think, I like you too .”- Zuko said awkwardly 

They hadn’t even passed first base, and there they were, like two high school kids, telling one another awkwardly that they loved each other. The silence came back, but this time it hadn’t the same anticipation, or anxiety, this time the two were just letting sink in the new info.

“ So .”- Zuko broke the silence 

He was almost called the painted lady, or whatever name Aang wanted to call himself, and telling him that the thing wasn’t going to happen when they got to Katara’s parament. But yet again before he could even react, she gave him a peck on the cheek and got off his car. 

“ See you tomorrow .”- Katara said 

“ Don’t work late. Sleep well.”- Zuko said awkwardly 

“ You too .”- Katara said getting in her building

He suddenly had a realization of everything that had just transpired, it came to him how awkward he was on that car ride, but how happy he felt. She liked him and wanted to be more than friends. If he had more time he would have had freaked out. But he had another appointment.

" Sleep well, what the fuck Zuko ."- He told himself before going away 


	4. Ember island

The Island was the most dangerous district in the city, the police were nowhere near that place for what Zuko had heard. Something very ironic since on The Fire nation the Ember Island the namesake to the district was reserved only for bureaucrats and nobles. It was ironic and even funny that one of these islands was full of corrupt and power-hungry people and another was used as a base for gangsters in Republic city. 

Zuko got to the building the painted lady or Aang had told him about, and to his surprise, the other vigilante wasn’t there yet. He looked at the Island, it seemed so calm by now, but that was about to change. He was thinking on his night trying to prepare himself for the mission, but Katara kept coming back to him . even now she almost completely dominated his thoughts. He was thinking on her but was taken out of his state of thought by that same voice, with that same modulator. 

“ Good night my fellow vigilante .”- The voice sounded 

“ You’re late .”- Zuko said 

“ I had another affair to take care of .”- The voice sounded 

“ Let’s go ?”- Zuko asked 

He turned and saw the other vigilante had a bad with him, Zuko asked himself what they were going to get but he didn’t wonder much because they immediately went near the shore and the painted vigilante, water bend an ice and then he water bent them into the base. Zuko followed his business partner, through the roof where they landed, they stopped close to the end of the roof were some vehicles that were parked at one end of the island. 

“ Now I need you to do your thing .”- The painted vigilante said 

“ How did you knew they would park here ?”- Zuko 

“ I have been monitoring them for some time, I know their mannerisms.”- He told Zuko with his modulated voice 

Zuko left the roof and went towards the cars, he realized that there were at least two lookouts beside the stopped cars, so carefully he opened the gas tanks from the cars and fire bended. The gasoline caused the cars to explode before Zuko could even climb back to the top of the roof. 

He followed the other vigilante through a wire that connected the house where they were to another house. The two followed crawling through an air vent and reached a room. There was a man in the room, but as soon as they arrived, the water bender made the pen the man had in his hands explode, causing them to leave the room. They both left the air vent when the room was vacated. 

“ Keep an eye on the door if he comes back and leaves the rest to me.”- He told Zuko 

Zuko stood by the door, watching from the door crack, while the other watchman did whatever he was doing. Zuko glanced back and saw some scrolls in the other man's hands. He had broken into a safe and was taking some scrolls out of there, Zuko was distracted from his task by seeing the scrolls, each one had ancestral symbols, some had the symbol of water, others earth, fire, and air. 

“ What the hell is that ?”- Zuko asked 

But before the water bender could say anything the man came back. Swiftly the painted lady water bended and produce ice to put him on against the wall, but his screams alerted the rest of the men. Zuko was pulled by the arm, and the two jumped out the window, they climbed back onto the roof while a very large number of goons began to enter the house.

“ What the fuck were you doing ?”- The bender asked Zuko 

“ I’m sorry I got distracted .”- Zuko said 

“ Let’s get out of here .”- He said taking Zuko by the hand and jumping on the water 

He water bended them back to shore and they both climbed the same building they were in, as they got to the top of the brick building they could hear gunshots coming from the island. Zuko could help but wonder what they were shooting at, but he didn’t have much time to think. 

“ What the fuck did you do ?!”- The painted lady asked, not screaming but clearly not whispering

“ What is that ?”- Zuko pointed to the back the other person carried 

“ They are scrolls of ancient bending .”- The painted lady said 

“ How did you know they would have that ?”- Zuko asked 

“ These gangsters are only a facade, they use gunrunning as a front for what they really do .”- The water bender explained 

“ How did you know they would have that ?”- Zuko asked 

“ These gangsters are only a facade, they use gunrunning as a front for what they really do .”- The water bender explained 

“ They gun run as a front, what could be worst than that ?”- Zuko asked 

“ These men are working for an organization called Equalists.”- The painted lady said 

“ You mean the guys who and shot the entire royal family afterward and took them from power? I know these guys, they're the reason my family ran away from Fire Nation.”- Zuko said 

Most people in the Fire Nation didn't remember what had happened, for so long they had been ruled by a dictatorship that almost wiped out the whole story of the Fire Lords, but Zuko remembered the stories of his grandfather Azulon, who told how the rebels had formed a revolution and killed all the nobles who had not had the idea to flee before the situation got worse. 

But the regime of the Equalists had been overthrown, at least a decade before, things had been volatile on the Fire Nation, for years until a democratic government was installed, Zuko really believed that all the Equalists had died with the end of the dictatorship but that seemed too real to deny. 

"I thought they were exterminated after the fall of the Equalists government. "- Zuko 

“ Most people thought the same, but they have been reactivating their organization. And they have gone back to their old habits. Get their hands on anything that concerns bending, and burn it before someone can see it. “- The painted lady said 

The Equalists had been a big part of why no one else believed that the Avatar or any bending existed, Zuko found himself in the middle of something much bigger than he thought he was. While he was just trying to stop the city's gangsters, other people were holding a warhead that killed benders across the globe. Suddenly it felt more important than he thought it was ever. 

“ Why didn’t you tell me that ?”- Zuko asked

“ I didn’t know how you were going to react .”- The painted lady told him 

“ We have to go back tomorrow, and destroy their base .”- Zuko 

“ No, blue spirit this isn’t the only base they have here they are everywhere. If we cut off one of their heads two more will grow back. If you’re going to work with mo one this we have to be smart, they’ ll be waiting for us .”- He told Zuko back 

“ Of course not , they won't be waiting for another attack so soon, we have to attack them before they reorganize themselves .”- Zuko told him 

“ I’m not going to do that, that’s not how I work .”- The hooded vigilante told Zuko 

“ So what are we supposed to do ?”- Zuko 

“ You’re going to wait for further instructions .”- The painted lady said 

“ Ohh come on Aang, you just told me the people that are responsible for me hidden our true selves are still out there and now you tell me to sit and wait ?”- Zuko 

“ Aang ?”- They asked 

“ Yeah, men …come on you have to tell me more .”- Zuko said 

“ As I told you blue spirit, I cannot tell you more for now, but … here is a parting gift .”- They said taking out of the bag a scroll with symbols of fire bending 

Zuko opened the scroll, and some techniques of fire domination were written, but the one that walked more its attention was one where the drawings taught to divert or better to redirect rays. Zuko had never been good with rays, but he opened to deviate from them, but never to redirect. When he raised his head to ask what that meant the painted lady was gone. 

“ And he left me on reading, again.”- Zuko told himself

\-------------------------------------

Zuko became restless during the night and day, he had gotten out of control and called the other vigilante from Aang, he had faltered bad, the evening before but one thing he had on his mind was that he was going back not even if he was going alone. He had saved the scroll that the other vigilante had given him, but still, he wanted to know more, he would return there that night. 

He didn't tell his uncle what had happened, only that he had to answer a call. Zuko was relieved to see that Iroh had at least tried to believe what he was saying. During the day he let himself be calm and think about his plans. The night had already fallen in the city, but he was still stuck in his office when someone slammed the door of his office. And there she was, Katara always well-dressed, with a modest smile on her face. 

“ Hello Zuko, I know it’s a little late, but I just want to give you the reports of productivity on the employes in my area .”- Katara said putting a folder with some paper on his desk 

“ I thought we didn’t do reports on staff. Who was the manager that did this ?-” Zuko said reaching for the reports 

“ I did. I keep a tight score off everything .” Katara 

“ Good. Thank you … And what are you doing here at this hour? It’s already 10 pm .”- Zuko said looking at his clock 

“ Yeah but I still have some paperwork to do. It won’t impress me if I stay up all night here.”- Katara said 

“ Kat, go home, you can finish this tomorrow .”- Zuko said on the soft voice he only had for the closer people 

“ I’ve already done this multiple times, I think by 2 am, I’ll be done .”- Katara said

“ See you tomorrow then .”- Zuko said as she got out of the room

Katara went to her office, she had no one around for hours, she took out their scrolls she had. The blue spirit, he said Aang’s name. That had landed her in some major paranoiac ground. If they thought Aang was the painted lady, that was a sign he knew that whoever the painted lady was, was working. They were close very, very close. So she had to work on knowing who they were to. She thought about tracking the phone she had gave them, but it wasn't traceable, courtesy of her mindful squem. 

She finished her work for the day and went to her car, it was at least 1 am, when she entered her car, that was alone in the mids of all the parking lot. Katara entered her car feeling good about being alone again when she heard that voice from behind. She froze, how did he find her was the first question that came to her mind. When she turned she saw him, after they had met he had full-bodied a hood over his head to his informed but the blue mask was still characteristic. 

“ Ohh, my gods.”- Katara exasperated as she turned and saw he was wounded, a bullet wound, he had gone back there, of course, she thought 

“ Katara I need you to help me .”- He said as if he knew her, but his voice had started to get more familiar 

“ What the hell, how do you know my name ?”- She asked him if he knew wh she was he at least could tell her how 

“ Because you know my name .”- The blue spirit told her taking off his hood and mask 

Everything became clear in a few seconds, it was as if a magician had done an incredible trick before Katara's eyes, but after a short time, this magician explained to her how he did everything. Zuko... of course... Then he took a deep breath and calmed down, he didn't know yet, but she had to take him to some doctor or hospital.

“ I have taken you to the hospital .”- Katara said 

“ No! Please no, take me to my uncle’s house .”- Zuko told her 

“ Zuko, you need a hospital, no your uncle .”- Katara said 

“ Please promise me you’re taking me to Iroh’s house .”- Zuko pleaded her 

“ So many things just got so much clear .”- Katara said 

Katara drove him to Iroh's house, the house was a little far away from the city which worried Katara, who for the first time in her life, saw no problem in advancing all the red lights she saw in front of her, she arrived at Iroh's house, which was in a noble and residential area, so there was no one on the sidewalk when she took Zuko out of her car and invaded the house through the garden.

As she rounded the corner to get Zuko in the house from the back lawn, a controlled but aggressive flame almost struck her, she returned to the corner from where she was standing. 

“ Who are you ?”- The old voice of Iroh came to Katara’s ears 

“ Please don’t burn me, I’m not here to do you harm .”- Katara said 

“ Katara is that you ?”- Iroh asked immediately 

“ I mean no harm, he needs help. And he wanted me to bring him here .”- Katara said coming out of the corner again 

She was holding Zuko’s arm over her shoulder and pressing the wound near his shoulder with her other hand. Iroh’s face said it all, it was a concern but not so much surprise. He knew about his nephew’s activities as a vigilante. Iroh brought them in and asked what happened. Katara told him she didn’t know. Zuko was already out, so Iroh took them to the kitchen as he walked her to put him on the table and take his upper uniform off.

Katara took off her uniform and the bullet wound became apparent, she saw that the bullet hole had almost caught some bones but had gone straight through. Meanwhile, Iroh went to the counter and brought some tools like a scalpel, tool to remove the bullet. Katara saw Iroh's hands trembling so she reached out.

“ Give it to me. I’ll do it .”- Katara 

“ Do you have medical training ?”- Iroh asked 

“Sort of .”- Katara 

She didn’t want to tell Iroh that she had to do that before not just in other people but on herself too. Katara wasn’t about to tell Iroh that she had already been in confrontation with the Equalists when she lived in the southern water tribe. Nobody knew what she had done in her college years, she bad knew how she would start explaining the scars on her own body to Zuko if they started to relate, but the weight was taken from her back, she knew he would understand better than anyone could. 

Zuko was already totally out when she took the bulled. Iroh gave her Iroh took a bag of blood from inside the refrigerator, Katara was surprised, as soon realized that as Iroh already knew about his nephew's night habits, he would already have blood on his hands to prevent himself against situations as complicated as this. 

Half an hour after, Zuko was stabilized, Katara had blood all over her close, but at that point, she didn’t care, it was already 3 am, and she had just stitched someone up, Iroh offered her tea, and for Zuko’s sake she decided to take the tea and stay until he woke up, not that Iroh couldn’t take care off him, but she had a strange feeling on her stomach when she thought off going away. So she and Iroh ended up talking over tea. 

“ So where do you guys get the blood ?”- Katara asked first as Iroh poured her some tea 

“ Zuko always saves some of his own blood for raining days, and I would say today is quite a storm .”- Iroh said sitting in front of Katara

“ Yeah tell me about it .”- Katara said sipping the tea

“ You know, if my nephew went after you, it means he trusts you. So I’ll trust you two. I would ask you not to tell the police about it .”- Iroh asked 

“ I don’t think he’ll like to see the police, they ask when and were a lot, I’m sure those may be his least favorite questions .”- Katara said trying to lighten the mood

Iroh laughed, not uncontrollably but softly, he and Katara talked about how long Zuko did what she did, she didn't tell him about what she did, then after an hour, they heard Zuko waking up, Iroh went along with Katara, near Zuko, he was waking up after Iroh had given him some anesthesia. 

“ What happened ?”- Zuko asked 

“ I brought you to Iroh’s house .”- Katara said 

They didn’t say anything, Katara and Zuko only looked at each other, they both didn’t know what to say. Zuko wanted to tell her what he was going say to her, and Katara pondered what to say to him, that she was the painted lady.

“ So when were you going to tell me?”- Katara asked 

“ Kat I …”- Zuko said 

“ You know when you know something, but at the same time, you don’t. I think that was the case .”- Katara 

“ I didn’t know how to tell you .”- Zuko 

“ It’s okay, I’m no one of consequence, remember .”- Katara said and smiled lightly

Zuko didn't understand what she meant, because her mind was scrambled with the effects of the anesthetic, but after a few seconds, he understood what she meant. Her eyes were wide open, Katara knew he understood the message. 

"Aang seriously you really thought he was a water bender ." - Katara said 

“ Agni, I don’t know what to tell you .”- Zuko said as he closed his eyes and laid his head back on the table 

“ You don’t have to, I know … How did I didn’t see that before .”- Katara 

“ So, water bending .”- Zuko said 

“ Yeah, fire bending .”- Katara said 

“ We are gonna have to talk about this .”- Zuko 

“ It’s going to be a long talk though I think we should talk over some tea that your uncle made.”- Katara 

“ First I get a bulled wound now, hot leaf juice .”- Zuko

“ I heard that .”- Iroh said 

\-------------------------------------

Zuko looked better than most people after getting shot, Iroh had caught a guy for him not to reopen the cut, then Katara realized that this was not the first time that Zuko refused to go to the hospital when he was seriously hurt, something that she was not unacquainted with, how many scars she had already not won when she let Aang patch her up, rather than having to explain to someone in a hospital what she did to get something as nasty as a bullet wound. 

She told Iroh about her water bending, and he told her of his uncle thought he was Aang, she already knew that, but the way Iroh laughed at Zuko for not having someone from the water tribe as his number one suspect. 

The sun had already risen on the horizon, Katara could barely keep her eyes open, she didn't even mind that her close was covered with blood, she just wanted to go home. That moment was very surreal, she was sitting on a table, with Iroh, fully dressed on his old man pajamas, and Zuko, barely gotten over being patch up from a bullet wound still on his blue spirit uniform. 

“ I think I have to keep going if I want to get myself to the office .”-Katara said getting off from the chair she was sitting on 

“ Sit Mrs. Katara, you’re dismissed for the day .”- Iroh said 

Katara sat back at the table, the three of them said nothing for some time, the silence was not uncomfortable, but concerted did not make them like the situation better. Katara and Zuko had just discovered each other's identity, and the only thing that could come into Katara's mind was the question of what would happen now. 

“ So how am I going to explain this one ?”- Zuko asked his uncle 

“ A boys night out gone wrong .”- Katara said 

The three of them laughed softly, Katara went back to sipping on her tea, she knew the conversation from then on could take two directions, she didn't know if Zuko would want to talk about a plan of action, or if he was going to send her out of his way. 

“ I'll warm up some more water for the tea while you guys talk .”- Iroh said getting up and going to the kitchen 

Katara did not know if Iroh had read her mind or just wanted to leave them alone. 

“ I think Iroh is glad, someone else is doing the same thing as me .”- Zuko said 

“ There are not many people doing what we do .”- Katara said 

“ So what is going to be our plan of action ?”- Zuko asked out of the blue 

“ What ?”- Katara

“ It may pain me to admit, but you were right I shouldn’t have gone there alone, I ended up getting shot, but I also did some great damage to their base, they won’t be operating from there anymore .”- Zuko 

“ So …”- Katara 

“You seem to know them well, but you can’t go against them alone. I propose that we do things your way.”- Zuko 

“ You’re telling me you want to work together ?”- Katara 

“ Yes .”- Zuko

“So, you ready to do things my way?”- Katara 

“ I am. You seem to know them, and finding them won’t be easy on my own .”- Zuko 

“ Well, we’ll wait. They will hide like the rats they are. But they’ll resurface. I the meantime, patrolling the streets is what I usually do .”- Katara 

Iroh returned with a pot full of hot water and filled Katara's cup with more tea, Katara realized that Zuko didn't like to talk about his nightly activities with her uncle, but she doubted that he had never discussed anything with him. 

“ I want to ask you something. Why did you tell me you didn’t believe benders existed when I asked you about it ?”- Zuko asked again out of the blue 

“ No one suspects the person that says they don’t believe on certain things. No one would suspect a non-believer to be the one who spreads the word. That’s a basic tactic.”- Katara 

“ That is very wise of you, Mrs. Katara .”- Iroh remarked 

“ Where did you go this from?”- Zuko asked 

“ Batman .”- Katara said

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have noticed any similarity between the facts situated with the fire nation and the end of the Russian czars, it is not a mere coincidence. Inspirations were taken from real history, as well as the events of the original show.


	5. Hard case

Zuko’s bullet wound, was easily, passed like a twist on the shoulder since he used a sling. The meetings went on and life went on, but Zuko didn't hear from Katara out of the office again, he knew she needed space, just like he did, in just one night they had discovered so much about each other, suddenly she was one of the people who knew him best, and that made him apprehensive. 

He tried to hide who he really was from everyone, nobody really knew him. Many times Zuko wondered who he truly was, if the Blue spirit, was who he the truest form of himself, hiding his nature from all was normal, so knowing he didn't need to do that with Katara, frightened him more than it relieved him of his anxiety. The situation was extremely delicate and personal, Zuko knew that Katara understood this, she could have left him in the dark about her identity, but she gave him a piece of information that gave him a sense of equality.

Two weeks had passed since the slice night when he had crawled into her car with a gunshot wound and their whole relationship had changed in a fraction of a second. So Zuko didn't expect that one night after most people left the office a text would arrive on his personal number. 

{ What to go out? I know a Lamen and tea place nearby. } - Katara 

{ Yep .} - Zuko answered without giving it much thought 

He and Katara met on the ground floor and walked side by side for two blocks until they reached a small establishment. The Jasmine dragon tea and noodle shop, that brought a smile to Zuko's face. As soon as they entered Zuko greeted some of the waiters who took them both to an empty table, far away from where the other customers were. 

“ Do you know this place ?”- Katara asked Zuko 

“ I know the owner .”- Zuko said with a smirk on his face 

“ Aang recommended the place, and I thought maybe it would be a good place where we could …”- Katara 

“ Talk .”- Zuko 

“ Yeah .”- Katara 

“ I’m not bugged you ignored me on the last two weeks, I also needed some time to think about things. Put things in perspective .”- Zuko 

“ Thank for understanding, it’s not every day, I discover someone so close, does the same, you know night activity as me .”- Katara said 

They tried to keep the conversation light-hearted, talking about work, but they knew they were only postponing the inevitable. They ordered food and didn’t talk about them for someone time, until Katara stopped talking abruptly and Zuko, understood, that the way he reacted to what she was going to say, could shape how straight forward she was going to be with him, so he keeps himself calm. 

“ I’m sorry for ghosting you these past weeks, I had to get a lot of things straight, you know, being into something, with my boss it's already complicated, but … another vigilante … it really messed things up for a bit .”- Katara 

“ Can’t say it was easy for me either. But I understand if, you don’t want to be seen with me anymore .”- Zuko 

Zuko was truly shouting inside, Katara was the first person he actually wants to get to know, and maybe build a life with. He knew was but he couldn't help it, that's the way he knew, it was made or break, all-or-nothing, ride or die, Katara was exceptional, she met all his standards, she was good at her job, she was intelligent, kind, honest, sometimes brutally so, and wasn’t about to let anyone doubt her worth based on any presumptions, Zuko didn’t even bother if she wasn’t beautiful, for the fire nation patterns. She was beautiful for him and that was what matters.

And as an idiot, he was about to let her go … he wanted to wring his own neck for saying that, but he knew that it was the option that hurt less not only Katara's career but her personal life, having to lie about herself was easier than having to keep the secret of another. Zuko didn't understand how people might think that Katara, had only gotten a job in a leadership position, in a big company, because she was involved with the young owner of the company, he knew that this was bullshit, but Zuko also knew that as stupid as this seemed to his ears, to others this would be more than plausible. 

“ No, I mean why would you think that ?”- Katara told him 

That was a relief, she didn't want to end things with him, she looked at him shocked when he proposed that she wouldn’t want to be his friend or even something else, it came as a breath of fresh air to Zuko, to know that she was not considering that, but went he wanted to know why. 

“ But, people will talk and …”- Zuko 

“ Let them talk, I truly could give less of a fuck, what people think of me. If some old, bloated, perverted, man what’s to say I just got my job because, I’m out with someone, well let them talk. The whispers will die out with those people .”- Katara said firmly 

That impressed Zuko, how could she be so calm about people talking about them, maybe it was because she had never been on the spotlight before. Being the son of a multimillionaire had given this sense of precaution and claustrophobia, regarding prying eyes. 

“ I truly don’t know how can you cope so well with that, I feel that every time I’m out I have to look over my shoulder.”- Zuko

“Well, when you have been a spokesperson against big conglomerates that don’t give employees their rights, you have to be a hard case, you know in the business I was before if you’re not very  thick-skinned you tend to get swallowed within a month or two. And worrying what they say about you is one more thing that will meet with you, though of course, it doesn't mess you up, as when a big company literally hires goons to stay in front of your house.  And send you the message they know where you at .”- Katara said it as if it was something she had gone through countless times

“ I wonder how that must be .”- Zuko said a little spooked out of how normal that seemed to her 

“ There is a reason, I do well being you know … a vigilante .”- Katara whispered the last bit 

They kept talking about plans, but the talk about vigilantes, and how they would solve whatever was between them, was left aside so that they could finish their meal and order dessert. After they had just eaten Katara went to the bathroom to clean some chocolate tails, which Zuko had "accidentally" splashed on her face, Katara and Zuko decided to leave the restaurant, which was now empty. 

“ So let’s go the cash, to pay, and then… “- Katara 

“ You don’t need to pay. I already got that .”- Zuko told her 

“ Ohh, don’t tell me you paid the bill !”- Katara said very angrily 

“ No, we don’t need to pay .”- Zuko said 

“ What Zuko, of course, we need to pay …”- Katara 

“ Remember I told you I know the owner. Iroh is the owner .”- Zuko told Katara 

A motion of understanding soon reached her face, she realized what he meant, but the thought that she should have realized this before when the restaurant staff had treated them more carefully than usual, she thought immediately that she should have realized it before. 

“ Of course Iroh is the owner of a tea shop .”- Katara remarked as the walked out of the restaurant 

They walked slower to the build, Zuko thought the were only severing the moment but as he looked to his side he saw Katara seemed to be in pain. Zuko took some steps near her. 

“ Are you okay ?”- Zuko asked 

“ I’m okay, it’s just, my feet are killing me. Cause I had the grand idea to come to work with heals .”- Katara

“ Here .”- Zuko said giving her his arm 

She intertwined her arm with his, and then they walked together to Sozin's building, they really looked like a couple now. They went home but as the got to their respective houses they just though on each other. 

It was a strange feeling, Zuko had never felt that when he had dated Mai, they had never been that close, even when they were supposed to be, Mai would dump him a million times before giving even a little scratch to her public image, but Katara didn’t care, she was so secure, that she could let herself love him regardless what other would say, and thining on her he came to understand that he would do the same for that Painted lady. 


End file.
